Haps the Sultan, hight Fortune, prove unjust ✿ Shifting the times, and man excuse shall know:
Bitter ensueth sweet in law of change ✿ And after crookedness things straightest grow.
Then guard thine honour, nor to any save ✿ The noble knowledge of the hid bestow:
These be vicissitudes the Lord commands ✿ Poor men endure, the sinner and the low.
When Al-Abbas heard her make an end of her verses, they pleased him and he said to her, “Brava, O Sitt al-Husn! Indeed, thou hast done away anxiety from my heart and hast banished the things which had occurred to my thought.” Then he sighed and signing to the fifth damsel, who was from the land of the Persians and whose name was Marzíyah (now she was the fairest of them all and the sweetest of speech and she was like unto a lustrous star, a model of beauty and loveliness and perfection and brightness and justness of shape and symmetric grace and had a face like the new moon and eyes as they were gazelle’s eyes) and said to her, “O Marziyah, come forward and tune thy lute and sing to us on the same theme, for indeed we are resolved upon faring to the land of Al-Yaman.” Now this maiden had met many of the monarchs and had foregathered with the great; so she tuned her lute and sang these couplets:—
Friend of my heart why leave thou lone and desolate these eyne? ✿ Fair union of our lots ne’er failed this sitting-stead of mine!
And ah! who dwellest singly in the heart and sprite of me, ✿ (Be I thy ransom!) desolate for loss of friend I pine!
By Allah! O thou richest form in charms and loveliness, ✿ Give alms to lover who can show of patience ne’er a sign!
Alms of what past between us tway (which ne’er will I divulge) ✿ Of privacy between us tway that man shall ne’er divine:
Grant me approval of my lord whereby t’ o’erwhelm the foe ✿ And let my straitness pass away and doubtful thoughts malign: